Flip-flop Pakistan finally admits to LeT role in Mumbai's 26/11, arrests 6 wanted persons

By M Rama Rao, India Editor, Asian Tribune

New Delhi, 12 February (asiantribune.com): Finally. 77-days after the 70-hour Taj-Oberai seize in Mumbai, Pakistan has admitted that India was indeed right in blaming it for the terror attacks that had claimed 170-persons from India and 15 other countries.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik was short on details. He accepted that "part" of the conspiracy behind the Mumbai attacks was hatched in Pakistan. Lashkar-e-Taiba was involved in the attacks and three boats were used from Pakistan to reach Mumbai.

This is a complete about turn in Pakistan's state which has been popping up one excuse after another excuse to deny any Pak hand in 26/11. In fact, it has not even accepted Ajmal Kasab the surviving gun man as Pak citizen. The sudden change of heart, as a commentator remarks, has come as US Special Envoy Holbrooke headed for Kabul from Islamabad amidst reports that Afghans have found a Pak hand in the Wednesday assault on three government buildings there.

Malik nevertheless tried to project the Mumbai mayhem as a having international ramifications.

'There are two parts of the investigations, one in India and one in Pakistan. Crime was in India, some part of conspiracy was in Pakistan. From Italy, Spain and a Middle East country (he did not identify) to U.S. and Russia, the plotters of the Mumbai terror attack tapped local resources including dollar payment transfers and registering Internet domain names in a sinister global plan', he told a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday, adding that FBI's help and international cooperation would be sought to crack the case.

"It is not only Pakistan, but the system of the other countries has also been used," Malik said.

Stating that a formal response to Indian dossier has been handed over to the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad, the Pak Minister said six of the eight individuals against whom police case was registered are in police custody. The remaining two are at large.

He repeatedly stressed on Pakistan's seriousness to unravel the terror plan and prosecute the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks. He said the actions taken so far would prove 'our sincerity'. But added: 'We want to bring to justice the culprits and we thus need evidence. This evidence should stand the test of the court. The evidence should speak for itself. India must cooperate with us ….'

The Minister said India has been sent some 30 questions for clarifications on various aspects to proceed further in the matter. Pakistan wants Ajmal Amir Kasab's statement made in court. It also wants to know how some SIM cards were procured in India.

On the investigations carried out in Pakistan, Malik said the probe is undertaken was under the Anti-terror act and the Cyber Crime act. He said the investigators had traced the owner of shop where the rubber boat that the terrorists had used to land in Mumbai was purchased.

'We had information from the shopkeeper that the guy who bought it gave one telephone number and that helped investigations. When we reached the number it was closed. We obtained a lead that went to a bank. There was an account of someone related to an act of terrorism. The account led to an individual who was the operator (of the Mumbai attacks). He gave us a number of other leads which we do not want to make public', the minister said.

-Asian Tribune -